Osmotherley Winter Escape

Osmotherley, a pretty Yorkshire village with three pubs, a lake and easy access to the Yorkshire Moors, was a tempting destination for our weekend escape. Just 10 mins from the A45 trunk road it was easy to reach and famous for its quaint Yorkshire character.

Osmotherley

Only 15 mins stroll from the centre of Osmotherley village COTE GHYLL MILL provided ideal accommodation for our family. Our en suite family bedroom had six bunks, ideal for a larger family, and rooms sleeping 2 and 4 were also available. There was a great self catering kitchen, which helped to keep the holiday costs down, and a cafeteria offering some very tempting menus. Having driven through the narrow streets of Osmotherley, I was pleased to find plenty of parking at the mill. As we walked towards reception we were thrilled to see the white tails of deer bobbing off into the woods right in front of the hostel.

Cote Gyll Mill, Osmotherley

The next dawned mild. We explored Osmotherley village in the morning. There were old stone buildings, tree lined streets, a general store, tea shop and some very inviting pubs. In the afternoon we visited Cod Beck Reservoir. A footpath direct from the hostel grounds lead us up to the lakeside in a few minutes. Picnic benches by the dam made a great stop of lunch. From there we followed a well made path up the west shore of the lake. This had lovely views of the water and was very accessible, it would be ideal for a family bike ride or wheelchairs.

Cod Beck Reservoir, Osmotherley

At the top of the lake we crossed a stream on stepping stones and followed a more rocky footpath back along the east shore of the lake to complete the circuit. As the evening drew on we watched a murmuration of geese come down to land on the lake, and as the light dropped it was good to know the hostel was only a few minutes walk away.

We had an early tea and settled down in the hostel common room to play monopoly. A group of walker doing the Coast to Coast long distance path called into the common room for a chat before setting off to explore the pubs in Osmotherley. I had noticed a stone with the name Lyke Wake Walk written on it, when were at the top of the reservoir, so I did a bit of research using the hostel’s Wifi and found that The Lyke Wake Walk started at the reservoir and went over the high moors of North Yorkshire to Ravenscar on the coast. What an ideal night’s accommodation Cote Gyll Mill would be for anyone walking the Lyke Wake Walk! One of the walkers told me that the Cleveland Way also passes close by and that Osmotherly, which is high and has direct access to the higher moors, is well known as a great base for a walking holiday.

The next day we followed a circular walk on the National Trust website from Cod Beck to Mount Grace Priory. We started at point 4, having walked along a track from the reservoir to join the route. We also took the detour at point 7 to see the priory so all in all it added up to a good days walk. The weekend was drawing to a close and we felt like we had been away for a week. There are lots of great hostels in Yorkshire and I would definitely recommend Osmotherly as a great destination for a weekend escape.